The March to Freedom
|Season = 1 |Antagonist = Belus |Setting = |In-Universe Date = Year 0 |Production # = 76606 |Filming Dates = 15 September to 26 September 1994 |Original Air-Date = |Written By = Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster |Story By = |Teleplay By = |Directed By = Harley Cokeliss |Order in Series = 8 of 111 |Order in Season = 8 of 13 |Order in Franchise= 13 of 304 |Prev Episode in Series = "Pride Comes Before a Brawl" |Next Episode in Series = "The Warrior Princess" |Prev Episode in Franchise = "Pride Comes Before a Brawl" |Next Episode in Franchise = "The Warrior Princess" |title cap image = }} Hercules saves a woman from slavery and then must help to free her fiancee from the slavers. Summary As the story opens group of people are walking along a beach, among them are Cyrus and Oi-lan. Although Cyrus is suspicious of their leader, Belus, Oi-lan and the others assure him they are being led to safety. Many are refugees from a war. Suddenly the group is attacked, and all are captured. Belus is revealed to be a slave trader who led them into the trap. Hercules is visiting his mother who guilt-trips him into going into town and selling grain for her. On his way there he visits the graves of his slain family. In town he meets Iolaus. As the two meet a young woman who wants the grain. Hercules awkwardly tries to sell the grain to her when her nasty mother takes over. Her mother tries to buy Hercules' personal services but settles for the grain disgruntled. Hercules sees the captives from the group who was taken earlier. There Belus is selling them as slaves. Belus sells Cyrus to Inaeus, who plans to sell him in turn in Libya to fight animals in the pits. When it is Oi-lan's turn to be sold, Hercules overhears the twisted plans of the other buyers and decides with Iolaus' slightly reluctant help to buy her. When Hercules meets Oi-lan he frees her immediately as planned, although she is skeptical. It is quickly revealed she is skilled in martial arts as she flips Iolaus when he extends his hand. The two offer to help her but she flatly refuses. She sets off to free Cyrus on her own. As she leaves Hercules observes she is being followed. Iolaus observes she is "dangerous." Meanwhile Belus and Inaeus have a disagreement of over a "delivery charge" for the slaves he bought. Belus has Inaeus' fingers broken, takes his money, and decides to take the slaves to Libya himself and sell them again there. Hercules follows Oi-lan anyway and rescues her from the men who were stalking her; again, he insists on helping stating that he knows the road to Libya well. Although she still doesn't trust him, she grudgingly allows him to accompany her. Hercules and Oi-lan begin to talk and discover they have much in common. Hercules opens up about his family. Oi-lan reveals she was raised in a palace but was banished as her mother "wasn't her father's number one." Cyrus was an acrobat at the palace which is where the fell in love. With a new friendship formed they both resolve to free Cyrus. Meanwhile Cyrus escapes the slave caravan and returns to the town. He speaks with the nasty mother from before and discovers that Hercules bought Oi-lan and is travelling to Libya. Enraged, he commits to killing Hercules. The woman and the other townspeople laugh him off until he smashes a table with his bare hands in a display of his own skill. When Cyrus catches up with them, he manages to knock Hercules into the canyon with a trap, although Oi-lan protests. Unfortunately for the pair though they are immediately re-captured by Belus and his men. Hercules climbs out of the canyon and catches up with the slaver caravan. After freeing Cyrus and fighting off the guards he and Cyrus chase after Belus, who has Oi-lan as his hostage. While Hercules distracts Belus, Cyrus takes Belus from behind. Cryus and Oi-lan both knock him out. Hercules stops Cyrus from killing Belus saying he has "a better idea." Back in town Hercules is revealed to be selling Belus to the Nasty Mother he met earlier, leaving her VERY satisfied. Meanwhile Alcmene has also allowed Oi-lan and Cyrus to have their wedding at her home............which Hercules tells them only special people get that kind of offer. Hercules also gives them the land he and his family had lived on. As everything ends happy once again, Hercules 'talks' to Deianeira, at her grave, satisfied that there is some happiness back in the land he where he lived with his family . Disclaimer : For your own safety, always keep watch on the trees above you for passing travelers on the road to Libya Gallery Screencaps File:March_freedom_01.jpg|Belus Leads the Settlers File:March_freedom_02.jpg|Talking with Deianeira File:March_freedom_03.jpg|I'll Do Better Next Time File:March_freedom_04.jpg|Sold! File:March_freedom_05.jpg|En Route to Libya File:March_freedom_06.jpg|You Can Help Me File:March_freedom_07.jpg|Some Short-Cut! File:March_freedom_08.jpg|Is That Better? File:March_freedom_09.jpg|Escape! File:March_freedom_10.jpg|I'll Kill Her! File:March_freedom_11.jpg|I Have a Better Idea File:March_freedom_12.jpg|You Drive a Hard Bargain, Hercules File:March_freedom_13.jpg|Special People File:March_freedom_14.jpg|Trust Us Other File:HTLJ_MCA_March_to_Freedom.jpeg|Page from Www.mca.com Background Information * This episode features Lucy Liu in one of her earliest on-screen performances. * This is the first episode to feature people from Chin. * Even though Oi-Lan and Cyrus appear to become good friends with Alcmene and take over Hercules's old land, they don't appear again. * Even though this episode aired 8th, it was actually the second episode of the series to be filmed. Iolaus's outfit is similar in appearance to "The Wrong Path": his top is blue, whereas in the previous episode it was purple. Links and References Guest Stars * Lucy Liu as Oi-Lan * Michael Hurst as Iolaus * Nathaniel Lees as Cyrus * Stig Eldred as Belus Other Cast * Elizabeth Hawthorne as Alcmene * Terry Batchelor as Mudo * Robin Kora as Peplus * Margaret-Mary Hollins as Admeta * Te Paki Cherrington as Gringus * Maya Dalziel as Nasty Mother * Joanna Barrett as Beautiful Girl * Christian Hodge as Lapithus * Peter Sa'ena-Brown as Tmoulus * David Mercer as Tapus * Uncredited as Inaeus References * Libya * Libyan Animal Games * Penelope Season Navigation de:Die Sklavenprinzessin Category:HTLJ Season 1 episodes